This invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus of an air mix type suitable for use in automotive vehicles.
This type of air conditioning apparatus of the prior art comprises a heating device, such as a heater core, for heating air to provide warm air which is mixed in suitable proportions with cool air that has bypassed the heating device, to provide conditioned air of a desired temperature. The conditioned air produced in this way is discharged in two air currents, one air current being released into an upper portion of the interior of the vehicle and the other air current being discharged into a lower portion thereof. The air conditioning apparatus comprises vent add defroster outlets for handling the currents of conditioned air released into the upper portion, of which the former directs the conditioned air against an upper half body of a rider, and the latter outlet directs the conditioned air against the windshield. When the conditioned air is released into the upper portion of the interior of the vehicle, it is discharged through either the vent outlet or the defroster outlet by changing over the air outlets. In the wintertime when the operation of the air conditioning apparatus is switched to a heater mode, the conditioned air is released through the defroster outlet to prevent the windshield from dimming. This has made it impossible to operate the air conditioning apparatus in a bi-level operation mode to enable the rider to enjoy travelling in comfort by directing the conditioned air in two currents through the vent outlet and a floor-level air outlet against the upper half body and the feet, respectively, of the rider.
A proposal has been made to use an air conditioning apparatus which comprises air conditioning mechanisms each located at one of a vent outlet and a floor-level air outlet, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 130809/82 which has among its inventors the inventor of the present application. In this air conditioning apparatus, it is possible to vary the temperature of a current of conditioned air released through the vent outlet from that of a current of conditioned air released through the floor-level air outlet. However, the apparatus is constructed such that a passageway for the conditioned air flowing to the defroster outlet is branched off from the floor-level air outlet, so that the conditioned air can be released from either the floor-level air outlet or the defroster outlet.